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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Finding Peace

I have to admit that I feel a bit like a turtle these days - I want to pull my head back into my shell and ignore the outside world. The turmoil, divisiveness, and the fear of losing our open lands or irreparably damaging our Earth scare me deeply.

For a person like me who loves nature and lives in the mountains, it is possible to pretend that all of that outside stuff isn't really happening. So, despite the world's issues, I choose my closed little world some days, seizing the wintry days. I can ride my fat bike so many beautiful places - it keeps me happy in the winter.

During my fat bike rides, I often pass a rusted out vehicle that sits next to a dirt road near me. People say it's a Model T although I don't know that for sure. If it is, it might have been sitting in this spot for close to a century - through at least one world war and many smaller wars. I find myself wondering how it came to be sitting in this spot. Did the engine die in this very place and the driver just walked away from it? Or did it slide off the road and get stuck in this spot? How many winter storms has it sat through? When did someone shoot at it, leaving all the bullet holes in the driver's side door?

I love living in an area where a specimen from history has sat in one spot for a very long time. No one has hauled it away to try to profit from it.

I also love having so much open space that I can have Shyla by my side for many of my fat bike rides. Our stops for play are a highlight of my days.

I think that she loves it too. She runs with such exuberance!

I know that it sounds simplistic but that's how I'm coping with the world's turmoil these days. Most days, it's enough for me to find peace in our mountains and spend time with our pure-hearted dogs.

I hope that all of you are finding peaceful parts of your lives regardless of the turmoil around you.

Hi Ellen - I think it's too small for a Mack truck but I'll take another photo with something or someone in it for scale in the future. I may be misguided about how big Mack trucks were back then. The passenger compartment of this vehicle seemed a bit smaller than the size of a compact car today. Thanks for the comment!

You share with us all that beautiful landscape, the snow, the skies with glorious colours, mountain in the distance, the wildlife, bobcats( my favourites) moose ,lions, and the bears, and your doggies, and for me, each photo is heart-warming, uplifting, and with smaller turmoils down here, they, each one, give me peace and so much happiness. I can leave the worries, the political upheavals and all else behind, as I read your words and linger over the photos. So although you have a respite from the world's numerous worries, so do we. Thank you so much.

I feel you. I was watching the news tonight and just shaking my head and muttering to myself. I wanted to just turn it off and put my head under a pillow. Luckily Luke was right next to me willing to comfort me with a snuggle. All of this has seemed to reach a head at the same time as our own personal loss of Sheba. It feels like too much. I need to retreat to the outdoors as well, because I know that can help. I enjoy exploring our own woods at our new home. The original part of our home was built in 1815. We've found some great old farm stuff in the woods. One of the regular ways I walk passes an area where there is a break in the old stone walls, and a sign on a tree with no words left on it. I love to imagine what that sign might have said; and where that break in the wall leads to. What I can never understand is people that don't appreciate the beauty of nature and the importance of that history.Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

It's something of a search to find peace right now. In addition to the "news" we are caught up in multiple doctor visits and lab tests for our injured player. Weather has been weirdly warm but beginning to chill down a bit. I'm finding that I do enjoy doing all the walks with Lucy and taking her to the park by the lake. Soothes the troubled soul a bit. When you're out with the dog that is all that matters for the moment.

I think we all need a place where we feel safe, happy and at peace. For Mum and me it's the beach. Especially in winter when we have it all to ourselves. Even in summer we have spots to escape from the rest of the world. Blogville is also a good escape from the horrors of the world, aye?? Your blog makes us happy. You have so much beauty around you.

Nature is the best for escaping stress - especially these days. Like Mary said, I'm torn between wanting to stay on top of it all and wanting to ignore it all! I've never read so much political news in my life - but some days I need to take a break from it all. Gotta stay sane... I just hope that since there are so many of us that feel the same way, we can stop irreparable damage from being done. Anyway, I love to hike but it's not always easy for us to get away (living in the 'big city' like we do) but luckily we have the beach, and just seeing the huge expanse of the Pacific Ocean every day makes me feel peaceful.

I agree, how to balance staying informed and fighting all the wrong that's happening now with enjoying this life, this day…I don't have an answer to that one but being in Nature is one way. I check the news in the morning, go through emails, sign petitions,etc. then try to spend most of the day doing other things. You are fortunate to live someplace beautiful in winter.

The Kiss: K and R

About Me

I live at 8200' in the Front Range of Colorado. I love exploring nature
in the mountains while riding my mountain bike and romping with my
two Labradors. Photography is another passion, including both "normal" photography and trail camera photography of wildlife.

My two dogs are Shyla, a 6-year-old Chocolate Lab, and R, a 10-year-old Black Lab.